Mackenzie’s Album of the Week: Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa

With the release of her 2017 self-titled debut, Dua Lipa has shown exponential growth as an artist, earning several awards for songs like “New Rules” and “Electricity,” including Best New Artist at the Grammy’s in 2019. With the new release of disco revival, Future Nostalgia, Dua Lipa proves that she is playing the long game and that she has genuine staying power potential.

While maintaining the presence of her soulful voice and star-making melodies, Future Nostalgia brings more to the table than ever before. “While her self-titled, 2017 debut established her as a smoky-voiced purveyor of easily digestible Top 40 Hits, it lacked a sense of who Lipa actually was alongside her big personality peers,” according to Rolling Stone. Future Nostalgia sets her apart as an artist with the personal flare that was not present during her first album.

Future Nostalgia is a vibrant collection of bass-driven bops that succeeds in justifying the presence of 80’s music in 2020. This album is like a breath of fresh air with a bouncy atmosphere that everyone needs during this stressful time.

With the title track opening the album, there immediately is a strong sense of 80’s and 90’s inspired samples and sounds that draw the listener in within the first 30 seconds. The lyrics, “Like modern architecture, John Lautner coming your way,” specifically reference this era, naming American inventor of the Googie style of architecture, John Lautner.

Lead singles, “Don’t Start Now,” “Physical,” and “Break My Heart,” drive the momentum of the album in classic break-up dance-pop anthem fashion. These songs are all sturdy in their own right, especially lead hit single “Don’t Start Now,” which gained instant attention after its release in late 2019.

“Levitating” is another stand out that has you looping the infectious chorus in your head for days on end. The rhythmic groove along with the melody in the verses and chorus make it difficult not to bounce to this song. The same can be said about the addicting atmosphere of “Hallucinate.” With an energy pumped chorus and lyrics that scream futuristic fantasy, “Hallucinate” overwhelms the listener with an electrifying presence that can only be described as the feeling of love.

Future Nostalgia is the type of album that will literally make you feel lighter on your feet with every empowering lyric, funk bassline, and bouncy synth. If you want to find a collection of contemporary pop songs that will simply make you feel good, this is the album for you: